Second acts: Two small downtown eateries open bigger Sugar House spots

By Heather L. King The Salt Lake Tribune

Published February 22, 2013 10:41 am

Dining out • Two downtown eateries now in SugarHouse

Share This Article

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Ekamai Thai Curry and Bruges Waffles & Frites  both located in the redeveloping 300 South and 300 West block near Pioneer Park  are likely two of Salt Lake City's smallest restaurants.

But from these small beginnings have come bigger things. Both restaurants recently opened larger, second locations in Sugar House, allowing a new set of neighborhood diners to try these culturally diverse cuisines.

Ekamai Thai Curry • Located just north of Sugar House Park in a renovated bungalow, you'll find all the tastes that you love from the original here in a more traditional restaurant space. There's a broader menu as well as a well-paired wine and beer list.

Inside the old house, a fire burns, metal tables gleam, and many of the favorite dishes from the downtown location are still served at nearly the same quick pace.

ARTICLE PHOTO GALLERY

I'm thrilled that my favorite soup, the Tom kha kai ($5 small, $11 large), is available anytime instead of just as a Thursday special, as it is downtown. Warm and comforting, this coconut chicken soup with lemongrass, lime leaf, mushrooms, tomato and roasted chile is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Fruity notes of lemongrass and lime leaf hit the palate at just the right intervals, while the chicken is juicy and generous and the mushrooms meaty.

The chicken drunken noodle is another downtown stand-by that's always available at the Sugar House restaurant ($12, choices also include beef, pork or tofu for $12, or seafood for $15). These flat rice noodles are a filling base to the egg and chile oil-infused vegetables. The portions are always generous, making for fine leftovers.

Traditional curries are also on the new menu. The nice kick in the yellow curry chicken ($12) offsets the potatoes and carrots, while less flavorful was the Massamun curry beef ($16).

Many of Ekamai's offerings can be made vegetarian or vegan upon request, and those choices are clearly noted on the menu.

As always, the mango sticky rice ($5.49) or toasted coconut sticky rice ($6), each with just the right amount of sweetness, is a delicious end to dinner.



Bruges Waffles & Frites • To find the new Bruges, travel to 2300 South and Highland Drive. This location offers the same Belgian specialties as the original downtown store  including sausages, frites (fries) and waffles  but with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. There's also a Manneken Pis fountain  that is, peeing boy  celebrating owner Pierre Vandamme's home of Brussels, Belgium.

The menu isn't large, but what is offered is executed well. Liege waffles are the reason most people visit Bruges. The batter includes the coarse-grained pearl sugar more common in Scandinavian dishes, and is cooked in a hot iron to produce the crunchy, sweet exterior without all the interior fluffiness of a typical American waffle. Build your own waffle treat ($3.50) and add toppings such as crÃ¨me fraiche ($1.25) or fruit ($1-$3). Or try one of the two pre-designed specials: the torpedo waffle ($5.50), stuffed with bars of Belgian chocolate; and the amazing waffle monster ($9) with fresh strawberries, vanilla bean ice cream and speculoos (cookie butter) spread.

Sausages are the primary savory choice, and come in a few varieties including the freakandel, a mixture of chicken, pork and beef, or the merguez (lamb) sausage on the machine gun sandwich ($9.25).

About that machine gun sandwich: It's the restaurant's most popular, and starts with a fresh baguette stuffed with two herby lamb sausages covered with frites and Andalouse sauce, made with red bell pepper and cayenne pepper. The sauce offers just enough kick to complement the fries, while not overpowering the sausages. It's messy, though: I wasn't able to handle this sandwich with my hands alone, so I resorted to using a fork and knife.

In addition to the Andalouse, there are 10 other house-made mayos for dipping. Choose from plain mayonnaise, aioli, greens, lemon pepper dill, Zensation, Brasil, fry sauce, curry, zango or samurai. There's a handy menu explaining all of your options on the cooler where you pick them up.

Through April, try the seasonal Flemish Stew ($6 or $9.89 with frites), featuring beer-braised beef and nicely caramelized onions. A hearty dish, the flavor of dark Belgium ale really stands out, which makes it unfortunate that you can't order one with your meal.

The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.

Overall rating •

H Good

HH Very good

HHH Excellent

HHHH Extraordinary

Entree price •

$ Less than $10

$$ $10-$18

$$$ $18-25

$$$$ More than $25

Restaurant noise •

b Quiet (under 65 decibels)

bb Can talk easily (65-70 decibels)

bbb Talking normally somewhat difficult (71-75 decibels)

bbbb Must raise voices (76-80 decibels)

m Too noisy for normal conversation (more than 80 decibels)

Share This Article

USER COMMENTS

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account. See more about comments here.